Village Veterinary Clinic is building for more space, additional services

MORE BANG FOR YOUR BARK ­— The Village Veterinary Clinic of Hamburg has been constructing a new building next door, in the hope of providing additional services to more animals.

WIPE YOUR PAWS — The Village Veterinary Clinic, located at 113 Buffalo St. in Hamburg, is currently undergoing a face-lift. Photos by Alicia Greco.

HAMBURG — Construction is currently underway next to the current Village Veterinary Clinic of Hamburg, to create a new, larger location for the local office.

Andrew Reyda DVM, a native of Chautauqua County, bought the current establishment, located at 113 Buffalo St., in 2006. Reyda received his undergraduate degree in biology from the State University of New York at Geneseo; he graduated from Ross University School of Medicine and School of Veterinary Medicine in St. Kitts, West Indies and from the University of Missouri in Columbia, Mo. He worked at the Ellicott Small Animal Hospital in downtown Buffalo for eight years.

“I love helping people through animal welfare,” Reyda said. “It’s not just an animal thing.” He discussed the significance of the collaborative relationship between animals and their owners and added that his services are not only for the sake of the animal, but also to help maintain the bond between pets and their owners.

This, he said, is a dynamic that his current clinic holds as its mantra; the reconstruction and development will bring new services, to continue and strengthen the business’s ongoing efforts.

The architectural team is comprised of Jim Bammel, a local architect, and the Colorado-based firm Animal Arts Design. “Our art is the process of designing spaces for the care and shelter of animals by understanding our clients’ needs, goals and aspirations,” said the business’s website. Kirst Construction Inc. was brought on as the project contractor.

“I didn’t want a [typical] medical building,” Reyda said, adding that he wanted to create something more whimsical. He said that the final product will blend right in with Hamburg’s existing atmosphere.

The building is approximately 9,000 square feet. The owner said that his nine-person staff will most likely increase to 30.

The neighboring resident was contacted about the newly constructed wall, which created a tight space between the two buildings. After discussion among attorneys, the entire blueprint was shifted a foot north, giving the neighbor a bit more space. “Everything is lockstep with what the code is,” Reyda said.

The owner said that, after business began to boom, expansion was necessary. “We’re bursting at the seams,” he said. The current location, which is a reconstructed residential home, does not allow services to reach the potential he said he hopes for.

Reyda said that the building plans were drawn up in line with the village codes, in what he said was a cooperative effort. The process has been underway for two years and the owner estimated that the new facility will be open for business late next summer. A redesigned driveway will no longer be one way, in a stated effort of allowing for safer driving. Curbside parking will also be available.

To utilize the extra space, Reyda will bring in a variety of new programs and improvements, to enhance his existing services.

The Village Veterinary Clinic will provide boarding for cats and dogs and also offer a doggy day care. A dividing wall will allow pooches to have a place to play outside as well, weather permitting.

Reyda said that the spacious building and additional staff will provide for “more diagnostic capabilities.” The new location will also provide 24-hour emergency service for pets that need immediate care. Acupuncture will be available, in addition to cold laser therapy, to treat animals that have chronic impairments.

“Hamburg is such a vibrant place,” Reyda said.

To contact the Village Veterinary Clinic of Hamburg, call 646-4023 or visit www.vvcofhamburg.com.